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New attorney appointed in Miss. ricin case

The Associated Press

Updated:
09/10/2013 03:42:46 PM EDT

ABERDEEN, Miss.—A federal judge has appointed a new lawyer to represent a Mississippi man charged with sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials after two public defenders asked to withdraw from the case.

U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock on Tuesday appointed Kenneth H. Coghlan to represent James Everett Dutschke of Tupelo.

The decision came one day after federal public defenders George Lucas and Gregory Park asked the judge to replace them as attorneys over undisclosed conflicts with another client in the public defender's office.

Dutschke is charged with sending ricin-tainted letters on April 8 to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Lee County Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland.